Car Accidents

Car accidents are a frequent occurrence on today’s busy roads. Accidents of this type can be both stressful and time consuming to sort out so it’s important to appoint the right legal representive. We operate a No Win No Fee service and can arrange everything from replacement vehicle to compensation and rehabilitation.

Conveyancing

Our job as your conveyancing solicitor is to oversee the legal process in either the sale or purchase of your property. Our experienced team of property solicitors will take the stress out of the transaction allowing you to concentrate on the more important things in like moving home.

Work Accidents

Do you know where to turn in the event of accident at work? Your employer has a duty of care to provide you with a safe environment to work in. If you have been involved in an accident at work through no fault of your own, then our legal team are here to help. We can assess your work accident and advise you of both your rights as an employee and any compensation that you may be entitled to.

Medical Negligence

Being the victim of a failed medical or beauty procedure can leave you feeling alone. We are here to listen to your complaint and advise you of your rights as a consumer. Our first class medical negligence department will provide you with all the answers you need to determine your prospects of success

Housing Disrepair

Has the property you occupy made you or someone in your household unwell? Damp properties can cause damage to your belongings but most off all can lead to serious health problems. Don’t delay contact our housing disrepair department today.

PPI

Have you been sold insurance alongside your credit card, accounts or mortgage? We can help you claim back your miss sold payment protect insurance, don’t delay contact our payment protection department today.

Industrial Disease

If you have been diagnosed with an industrial disease, or suffer with a condition that has been caused by your work, you may be eligible to claim compensation. Contact our Industrial Disease Department today.

Slips, Trips & Falls

What starts out as a simple shopping trip can sometimes end up in a local accident and emergency department. Slip trip or fall accidents are one of the most common types of accidents and can lead to serious injuries such as back problems, paralysis, broken bones and head injuries. If you have slipped or tripped through no fault of your own, then contact us today to find our if you have a claim for compensation.

Family Law

Are you looking for help and advice in relation to family law? We understand family law can be a sensitive and difficult area to negotiate. We have a wealth of experience in this area and in most cases will offer a free no obligation phone call.

Sickness And Absence Claims Liverpool

An employee who is absent due to sickness remains an employee until either they resign or the employer dismisses them. Their sickness absence does not affect their entitlement to holiday pay. They are not required to work, but do have a duty to remain contactable by the employer and to keep the employer informed.

An employer is entitled to require the employee to notify them by a particular time if they are going to be off sick. An employer is entitled to ask for a self certification form if the employee’s sickness lasts more than 3 days and for a doctor’s note if it lasts more than 1 week.

If an employee’s contract does not provide for them to be paid whilst off sick then they are entitled to Statutory Sick Pay from the 4th day of sickness absence for a period of up to 28 weeks (after which they need to claim Incapacity Benefit). An employer is entitled to seek information from an employee about their sickness and require them to attend meetings (if the employee is well enough to attend a meeting).

If an employee has a disability, the employer should consider whether there are any “reasonable adjustments” which can be made which would enable the employee to return to work. In appropriate cases these might include allowing the employee to work from home, temporarily altering the working hours or allowing a “phased return” to work.

An employee who is off sick can still be dismissed and that dismissal will be fair provided the employer has a fair reason and acts reasonably by following the correct procedure. This applies particularly in cases of dismissal on the grounds of “Capability.” To dismiss fairly it is normally necessary for an employee to be invited to a meeting. This should still be done, but in many cases the employee will be unable to attend a meeting. The employer should consider alternatives such as:-

Postponing the meeting if the employee is likely to be well enough to attend a meeting in the near future.

Arranging a home visit to meet at the employee’s home (this would normally be presented as an option to the employee)

Allowing the employee to send someone on their behalf to attend the meeting

Conducting the meeting by way of a telephone call.

An employee who is off sick for a prolonged period of time can be fairly dismissed if they are unlikely to be well enough to return to work within a reasonable time. What amounts to a reasonable time depends on the nature of the job, the specific difficulties encountered by the employer in covering for the absence and the size and administrative resources of the employer. However, even where an employer is easily able to cover the absent employee’s work and even where it costs the employer nothing to keep the job open, an employer is not expected to have to keep the job open indefinitely.

In some cases, the employee’s sickness absence may have been caused by the employer, for example due to an industrial accident or industrial disease. This does not mean that the employer cannot fairly dismiss, although if the employee is claiming damages for the injury in a Court case they will also be able to claim for their loss of employment if they are dismissed. In cases where the sickness absence is caused by the employee’s treatment at work, the employer will be expected to investigate this and seek to resolve this before considering dismissal.

An employee who has frequent short term absences can be dismissed fairly even if no single absence would be long enough to justify dismissal on its own. Before an employer can dismiss for this reason the employee needs to be told what level of sickness absence is not acceptable and given the opportunity to improve their sickness absence levels.

The employer should investigate whether or not the employee has a disability. If so, then it might be a “reasonable adjustment” for the employer to discount any sickness absences which are related to that disability. Some employers have a sickness absence management procedure which states the level of sickness absences which can be tolerated and provides a series of warnings to operate if the rate of sickness absence does not improve. The final stage is dismissal. This has the advantage to both parties of making it clear the levels of sickness absence which can be tolerated and the consequences of sickness exceeding those levels.

No Win No Fee

No Win No Fee arrangements (or Conditional Fee Arrangements; CFAs) ensure that if you do not win your accident claim, you do not have to pay your solicitor a fee. Insurance will cover you against the other side’s costs and expenses. If you win your no win no fee claim, you should receive your compensation free of any deductions, as your solicitor’s costs should be paid by the other side.